Blue blitz buries Brumbies
19 Mar 2010
Three quick tries after half-time propelled the Blues to a 39-34 win over the Brumbies in Auckland.
The Brumbies’ tactics were flawed from the outset, as they allowed the Blues to run at their defence. They also tried to attack from their own half far too often, and the boot of Matt Giteau wasn’t utilised to the point where their territorial dominance could have set the stage for a comfortable victory.
Brumbies coach Andy Friend will be having nightmares about that period after the break. The Brumbies held a 16-10 advantage at half-time, but saw that lead eclipsed almost immediately. The Blues added two more tries in quick succession, and another before the game entered the final quarter. The visitors fought back bravely, but had too much ground to make up.
The Blues continue to thrill as much as they disappoint. Their speed and power in open play is constantly undermined by poor decision making and untimely handling errors, while their inconsistency at the set-piece means they battle to place opposition teams under sustained pressure. If they manage to get their set-pieces right, they’re going to be a threat to even the most organised defensive teams.
There was plenty of emotion evident in this outing with Keven Mealamu winning his 100th cap. The Blues’ defence flew at the Brumbies and it was unsurprising to see several white jumpers stained red with blood after just 20 minutes.
By contrast, the Brumbies allowed the Blues to run at their defence which resulted in linebreaks and offloads that led to several promising surges. Initially, the Brumbies’ scrambling defence was excellent and their decision-making at the ruck superb. If they had stuck to a territory-based strategy from the outset, they may well have romped to a comfortable victory.
A clinical build up saw the visitors scoring through prop Salesi Maafu in the 11th minute, but the Blues struck back four minutes later. Centre Rene Ranger produced a penetrative effort, setting up a much-needed try for Joe Rokocoko. Mealamu opted to turn down a kickable penalty and the Blues eventually flung it wide to Ranger, who bulldozed Christian Lealiifano before offloading to the Rocket Man.
Matt Giteau and Stephen Brett exchanged penalties before the Wallabies flyhalf reclaimed the lead in the 27th minute. Brett had an opportunity to level the scores again, but sent his attempt horribly wide.
The Blues spurned subsequent opportunities through skew lineout feeds and a Brett-dummy that only resulted in a turnover five metres from the Brumbies line. Giteau received another penalty before half-time and banked the points.
The complexion of the game changed after the break as the Blues scored three tries in the space of 15 minutes. Ranger corkscrewed his way through three tackles to touch down, while Benson Stanley flew in at the corner soon after. Giteau kicked a penalty at the other end, but it hardly mattered when Isaia Toeava ghosted through the midfield in the 56th minute to take the hosts lead to 29-19.
The Brumbies’ relaxed defensive strategy was backfiring, and a beautifully-weighted crosskick by Brett found Rokocoko in space. At 36-22, the contest was seemingly over.
The Blues continued to battle with their structures and allowed replacement hooker Huia Edmonds to bash his way though in the 59th minute. Giteau missed the conversion, his first failure of the night, but the Aussies never lost hope of a comeback.
For the first time in the game, the Blues played for territory, Brett and Daniel Kirkpatrick punting for the corners. The Brumbies were forced to conjure a try-scoring opportunity from deep in their own half, and under pressure from the rushing defenders, battled to make inroads.
It took a run up the middle by Patrick Phibbs to keep dreams of an upset alive, but they’d left their fightback too late. The Blues began to control the possession and remain in Brumbies territory, and when the visitors defence looked impenetrable, Brett slotted a drop goal to give the Blues some breathing room.
By Jon Cardinelli
73 Comments
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19 Mar 2010, 13:45 pm
@ufo:
I like the Stormers. Always have. The only SA team I ‘support’ 9vs non-NZ opposition, obviously). My ’101 Great Tries’ (VHS – worn out to death at Otago Uni mid-80′s) was riddled with WP moments. Carel du Plessis et al………!
haere ra, bro.
19 Mar 2010, 13:47 pm
kumbaya my lord kumbaya!
19 Mar 2010, 13:50 pm
@Black Panther:
how could I have doubted you…!!
now THOSE were the days when WP ruled…!! great moments…
really gotta sign off now…
later!!
19 Mar 2010, 14:07 pm
@cane: @38
Yes, Ranger looks the biz. Puma put me on to him early last season as 1 to watch out for and he’s usually an astute judge of talent.
I like him so much more than Wulf. I would still prefer Ranger on Wulfs wing and Toeava moved back to centre (and left there !!!). Clearly Lam is not convinced by Son Of to keep him at FB, so Toeava draws the short straw again.
If Blues had Ali W there, a better TH than Afoa (a bencher, at best), and a more disciplined loose-trio (partic at 8), then they would threaten more. Until then, Brotown just will not learn.
Albi looks a good buy tho, better than Weepoo.
19 Mar 2010, 14:16 pm
@ufo:
Juan de Jongh is the most exciting new-WP player to emerge on the scene for a while. Loved watching him emerge on EOYT. Its moments when you remember those bloggers here who had called him a ‘quota’, pre-tour, followed by a silent interim period, ending in glowing praise this season, that you really do realise there are some abolsute major plonkers out there.
de Jongh was superb vs Canes, some of those lines he takes are so good, you’d think he was a Kiwi.
19 Mar 2010, 14:22 pm
yes, South Africa is showing the world how rugby should be played. Dominating for the last 2 years
19 Mar 2010, 14:30 pm
@Mapoe_Quota:
*cough*
19 Mar 2010, 14:32 pm
@Black Panther:
de Jongh can tackle well for his size. That’s about it. He rarely passes, and when he does its an awful hospital pass which leaves Habana/Fourie nothing to work with.
19 Mar 2010, 14:35 pm
@Kobus Kitty:
You just described Fourie, not de Jongh.
Fourie is awesome with ball in hand. Couldnt pass a urine sample tho.
19 Mar 2010, 14:36 pm
@Kobus Kitty:
I imagine you’ve just qualified yourself as an “absolute major plonker”…
19 Mar 2010, 14:41 pm
@Black Panther:
Juan de Jongh played for Hugenote High in Wellington, where the backline consisted of very small players – he claims that because he was small and he played in a backline of small players who played other backlines with much bigger players, he had to sharpen up his defensive game.
He says he learnt a lot about attack at the WP Institute, and credits his stepping to Dawie Snyman, who coached him there.
19 Mar 2010, 14:41 pm
@Kobus Kitty: @58
I wondered what brought the weasel out of the hole and then realised, to my horror, that I had inadvertently hit the ‘KKK-mating call’ button on the jukebox during my entry @55.
I apologise to everyone else here for the inconvenience.
So, KKK, hows the farming Empire going – figured out how to weave maize in to gold yet ?
19 Mar 2010, 14:43 pm
@WP Till I Die: @60
Did you just somehow Google my entry before I hit ‘submit’ ?!
that is uncanny, my friend, youre good. Real good.
19 Mar 2010, 14:47 pm
@WP Till I Die:
Incidentally, Dawie Snyman played fullback for the Springboks during the 1974 Lions Tour. He, like Juan de Jongh, was also a small player: 1.73m tall and 77kg.
19 Mar 2010, 14:50 pm
the only KKK in SA = ANC youth league and malema
19 Mar 2010, 15:44 pm
Juan is good, but like Dippenaar and Ebersohn, will come to the fore after 2011. Let them develop now, without all this hype!
19 Mar 2010, 15:52 pm
@Johan Fourie:
Agreed.
By the way, seems your “brave” picks (as you called them) of the Blues and the Sharks have so far paid off!
19 Mar 2010, 16:37 pm
@WP Till I Die: @WP Till I Die: Dawie Snyman was the coach at Maties when i was there in the ’80′s. Great coach. Good Maties outfit too:
Guy Kebble
Andrew Patterson
Balie Swart
Johan Burger
Faffa Knoetze
Tiaan Strauss
Kobus Burger
Mike Bayly
Hans Sciba
Ernst Scriba
Stef Nel
and a bunch of other guys that I can’t think of
19 Mar 2010, 17:21 pm
@WP Till I Die: So far so good! Had the Blues by 3, just 2 out. Have Sharks by 5, maybe they’ll win by 3. Still 3rd in the muppits group.
19 Mar 2010, 17:54 pm
@stormersboy:
not many from cape town. in those days maties poached bedonnerd
19 Mar 2010, 22:05 pm
watching a replay of the game, Toeava was huge in attack… his link play especially..
20 Mar 2010, 00:37 am
Well done Kevin on your milestone! Legend.
Glad to see the Brumbies get rolled.
As for our future centres Ebersholm is by far the best at the moment. Does not have the jinking run like Jaun but has the defensive organisational skills and definetly offloads more the Jaun and Jacque.
Now we need the Sharks and the Lions to deliver!
20 Mar 2010, 01:49 am
@Black Panther:
How witty. You can say that about anyone, the fact is that Fourie sets up tries all the time. Just last week he stood up three players before passing out wide for a try, and nearly set up Habana in the corner. Obviously I watch more games with Fourie playing in than you do, so my opinion means something, while yours does not.
@WP Till I Die:
Why? Because I don’t have man-love for an overhyped player? Grow up.
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